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In this newsletter
A Message from the Project Manager
What’s Happening Vol 2 gave readers a general understanding of the impact culture has on the ELMS implementation. This month, we discuss some tips to a successful implementation of the LMS within the agency. The following information is from research done by Bersin and Associates - a provider of best-practices, trends, vendor, and benchmarking research in enterprise learning.
Extensive Customizations. During an agency’s configuration, its implementation team may think the LMS should be highly customized to accommodate the training process. However, making extensive customizations can lead to a lengthy implementation and an increase in cost - both of which can significantly decrease a program’s worth in terms of business value. Hence, modifications typically complicate the process of upgrading the system and require additional work .
In order to streamline the statewide implementation, no agency specific customizations will be done during the initial launch. Once all participating agencies have successfully launched the system, specific customizations will be addressed through a modification request process.
Access to Data. A main objective for installing an LMS is to gain enterprise-wide access to data. Which employees have received training? To what degree were employees trained? What are the compliance levels of each employee? How much do programs cost?
To avoid this challenge, the agency implementation team will identify the reports its agency may need, as well as pinpoint who will have access.
The Enterprise Project Team is working toward integrating a reporting tool within the E-LMS which is designed to provide agencies with customized reports.
Lengthy Projects. The most effective way to deliver value from an LMS investment is to get the system up and running as soon as possible. Some critical questions for the agency implementation team are:
- What value can you obtain by launching the basic functions of the LMS now then adding more capabilities later?
- Do you need an automated interface to another business application now or can you do that in a future phase?
- Do you really need to begin managing skills and competencies in the first version?
- Do you need to have all divisions/sections up and running or can you add them in phases?
It is best to take small steps in a shorter period of time than big steps in a longer period of time. The more divisions/sections that get involved in the implementation, the more time-consuming the implementation will be.
Conflicting Requirements. Different groups within the agency may have their own system and/or processes that they have been using for some time, and therefore, try to make the case that their training needs are different from others. However, research has found that training processes were exactly the same across the organization and the various groups were simply vying for control. When this happens, the project leader often feels the need to try and address everyone’s requirements. In doing so, the solution may end up being cumbersome or inefficient, as well as costly.
The Enterprise Project Team is fully dedicated to assist the agency implementation teams to address these and other challenges that will arise during the configuration process.
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ELMS Training Bite
The ELMS Training Bite is designed to provide a summary of key functions of the LMS. This month’s topic – ELMS Permissions.
The ELMS is a permissions based system. Permissions are the mechanism used to control user access to key areas of the ELMS. A typical registered user can access the majority of functions and content contained in their agencies domain. However, certain administrative functions as well as site and course content are restricted from the general user population.
Below is a list of the default permission groups available in the ELMS. Only users assigned to the Site Administrator permission group can add or remove users from any permission group.
All users, upon registration to the site, are automatic members of the General Users group. There is no interface for adding or removing users from this group. It is simply a designation for users who have not been granted special administrative permissions.
- Site Administrator: has access to all buildings and their related functions. Users assigned to this group have the ability to add, view, edit, and hide all content in the ELMS with the exception of Test Proctor passwords and Performance Evaluation reports. This group controls the permissions and access rights for all other users.
- Content Administrator: has permission to create (including upload), edit and hide site and course content in the ELMS. If added to another administrator’s team (via the Team Builder function), content administrators can edit that team member’s content. Otherwise, content administrators will be limited to only editing their own content.
- Course Administrator: has permission to create and manage courses and course related functions within the ELMS. Course administrators can only see and edit courses that they have created in the site, unless they are part of another administrator’s team (through the Team Builder function).
- Training Administrator: has access to the Batch Enrollment and Instructor Directory functions. This permission group has access to many functions but only has administrative capacity over the classroom based course management functions. Training administrators can also authorize individuals to enroll in, and be waitlisted for, classroom based courses.
- Course Approver: Course Administrators may set up a course that requires approval prior to course or curriculum access or enrollment. Course Administrators can assign approver rights to one of several different groups of people. Course Approvers can approve or reject requests for any courses/curriculums for which they have been assigned “Course Approver” rights by the Course Administrator.
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What's New
The Parks process pilot has started!
The Enterprise Project Team is very excited to be working with Parks as our pilot agency. Our goal is to test and validate the agency configuration workflows and processes to ensure a seamless configuration/implementation for all agencies in 2008. The configuration workflows and processes are specified in the Agency Implementation Guidebook – a step by step guidebook to assist agencies with all of the tasks necessary to prepare for implementing the ELMS. The process pilot will prepare Parks to implement the ELMS in 2008 along with 15 other agencies.
The Enterprise Project Team is grateful for the support from Parks! Thanks Chet Houser and Team!!
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Project Status
- The Enterprise Project Team is gearing up for agency configurations in ’08:
- The first 15 agencies to launch have been identified
- Kick-off meetings have been scheduled for the AIT Project Sponsor’s to discuss the:
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Enterprise launch plans for 2008
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Agency Project Sponsor roles/responsibilities
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Agency Project Manager and AIT roles/responsibilities/time commitments
- Kick-off meetings have been scheduled for the AIT Project Manager to discuss the:
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Agency Project Manager Roles/Responsibilities
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Agency Project Manager expectations and relationship with the Enterprise Project Team
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Agency Project Manager and AIT Roles/Responsibilities
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Overview of the Agency Implementation Guidebook and Tools
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Required AIT Training
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Next Steps
For a complete update on the ELMS project including “What’s Happening” archives, check out our web page at: http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/HR/e-lms.shtml.
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Questions and Answers
The Enterprise Project Team would like to invite you to ask any questions you may have on the ELMS initiative through the ELMS e-list. Just send your questions to (insert address). All questions will be responded to by one of the Enterprise Project Team members. All questions and answers will eventually become a Frequently Asked Questions section of the ELMS web site.
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Upcoming Demonstrations
The ELMS Forum provides an overview of the ELMS project. Attendees will learn what a Learning Management System is and its value to the employee, agency and state-wide enterprise. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the system and ask questions about the enterprise implementation plan.
Register Here
Contact Information
Theme Grenz
ELMS Project Manager
DAS/HRSD - Training and Development Services
155 Cottage St NE, U-30
Salem, OR 97301
E-mail: Theme.Grenz@das.state.or.us
Phone: (503) 378 6213
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